Liquid marble control device based on dielectric driving

Abstract

The invention provides a liquid marble control device based on dielectric driving, and relates to the technical field of liquid marble control, the liquid marble control device comprises a power supply, a displacement mechanism and an electrode, the electrode is connected with the power supply through a wire, the power supply is used for controlling the electrode to be electrified, and the displacement mechanism is used for controlling the electrode to move along a preset route above a pool. The electrodes are used for generating an electric field after being electrified. The electrodes are arranged above the liquid marbles in a spaced mode, strong-point charges are formed at the tips of the electrodes, and a non-uniform electric field is generated in the surrounding space. Under the action of a non-uniform strong electric field, positive and negative charges in the liquid marble generate micro-scale relative displacement, so that the whole marble is polarized. The polarization effect generates net dielectrophoretic force in a non-uniform electric field, the direction of the net dielectrophoretic force points to an area with high electric field intensity, and driving of the liquid marbles is achieved. According to the liquid marble conveying device, track diversity is provided for liquid marble conveying, the liquid marble conveying device is more suitable for long-distance conveying, and meanwhile the problem of pollution or damage caused by direct contact with an electrode is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of liquid marble manipulation technology, and more specifically, to a liquid marble manipulation device based on dielectric actuation. Background Technology

[0002] Liquid marbles, as a liquid-solid composite functional material formed by hydrophobic micro- and nano-particles encapsulating droplets, have shown great application potential in fields such as microfluidics, microreactors, and soft robotics. Effective manipulation technology is the cornerstone of application development, but current manipulation methods can no longer meet the growing application demands. For example, light field, magnetic field, and acoustic field actuation have stringent functional material requirements, unavoidable direct contact, unpredictable shell damage, and a single motion path.

[0003] Current manipulation methods have strict requirements on materials (e.g., optical and magnetic actuation require liquid marbles to contain photothermal or magnetic responsive materials to be controlled, which is costly and limited by materials); direct contact manipulation will bring unavoidable contamination (e.g., electrowetting effect has problems such as contact angle hysteresis, sample adsorption contamination, and complex surface modification), which can no longer meet the growing application needs.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new type of drive method and device that is highly adaptable and not limited by materials, so as to achieve contactless control of liquid marbles. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dielectric-driven liquid marble manipulation device to improve the aforementioned problems. To achieve this purpose, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows: In a first aspect, this application provides a liquid marble manipulation device based on dielectric drive, including electrodes connected to a displacement mechanism; The electrode is connected to a power source via a wire. The power source is used to control the energization of the electrode. The electrode is used to generate an electric field after being energized, and the electric field is used to control the movement of the liquid marble in the pool. The displacement mechanism is used to control the movement of the electrode.

[0006] Furthermore, the electrode is a needle electrode.

[0007] Furthermore, the electrode is perpendicular to the surface of the liquid contained in the pool.

[0008] Furthermore, the displacement mechanism includes a first displacement device and a second displacement device, the second displacement device being fixedly connected to the first displacement device, the electrode being fixedly connected to the second displacement device, the first displacement device being used to control the second displacement device to move in a first direction, the second displacement device being used to control the electrode to move in a second direction, and both the first direction and the second direction being parallel to the liquid surface contained in the pool.

[0009] Furthermore, an electrode array plate is also provided, which is fixedly connected to the second displacement device, and the electrode array plate is used to fix and install multiple electrodes.

[0010] Furthermore, a third displacement device is provided, which is fixedly connected to the second displacement device. The electrode array plate is fixedly connected to the third displacement device. The third displacement device is used to control the electrode array plate to move in a third direction, which is perpendicular to the liquid surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the liquid contained in the pool includes a first liquid and a second liquid. The first liquid is used to make the liquid marble float on the surface of the liquid, and the second liquid is used to make the liquid marble sink into the liquid.

[0012] Secondly, this application also provides a dielectric-driven liquid marble manipulation method, utilizing the dielectric-driven liquid marble manipulation device described in any of the above claims, comprising: The electrode is moved directly above the liquid marble using the displacement mechanism; Once the electrode reaches directly above the liquid marble, the power source keeps the electrode energized at a preset voltage. When the electrode is energized, the displacement mechanism controls the electrode to move along a preset route, thereby moving the liquid marble.

[0013] Furthermore, the liquid marble control device is also provided with an electrode array plate, on which multiple electrodes are mounted; The power supply controls the energizing sequence of multiple electrodes on the electrode array plate, causing the liquid marble to move within the control area of ​​the electrode array plate.

[0014] Furthermore, the power supply controls the simultaneous energization of multiple electrodes on the electrode array plate, causing the liquid marble aggregate to separate within the control area of ​​the electrode array plate.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention places electrodes above a liquid marble in a suspended manner, with strong point charges forming at the electrode tips, generating a non-uniform electric field in the surrounding space. Under the influence of this strong electric field, the positive and negative charges inside the liquid marble undergo microscopic-scale relative displacement, causing the marble to become polarized as a whole. This polarization effect generates a net dielectric force in the non-uniform electric field, pointing towards the region of higher electric field strength, thereby driving the liquid marble. This invention drives the movement of liquid marbles based on the dielectric effect, is simple to operate, and is applicable to any type of liquid marble, providing trajectories for liquid marble transport and making it more suitable for long-distance transport. It also avoids potential contamination or damage problems caused by direct contact between the material and the electrodes. Furthermore, this invention can also, by setting multiple electrodes and controlling the energizing sequence of the electrodes without moving them, make the liquid marbles move according to a certain pattern within the control range of the electrodes, and achieve the separation of liquid marble aggregates.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing embodiments of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the dielectric-driven liquid marble manipulation device described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the electrode array plate of the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the structure of the electrode array plate of the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the displacement mechanism of the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the liquid marble formation principle in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the external shape of the liquid marble in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of polarization of liquid marbles under the influence of an electric field in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the force analysis of the liquid marble subjected to dielectric electrophoresis in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the liquid marble driven by dielectric force in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of separating liquid marble aggregates using a dielectric-driven liquid marble manipulation device as described in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the voltage of the electrodes and the maximum moving speed of the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device described in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the dielectric-driven liquid marble manipulation device described in this embodiment of the invention, which drives a liquid marble to move along a circular trajectory. Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of liquid marble collision fusion achieved by the dielectric-driven liquid marble manipulation device described in this embodiment of the invention.

[0019] The diagram shows the following components: 1. Mounting plate; 2. Displacement mechanism; 21. First displacement device; 211. First electric linear slide; 212. First lead screw; 213. First slider; 214. Triangular plate; 22. Second displacement device; 221. Second electric linear slide; 222. Second lead screw; 223. Second slider; 23. Third displacement device; 3. Power supply; 4. Liquid ball; 5. Electrode; 6. Wire; 7. Water tank; 8. Electrode array plate. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0022] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] Example 1: It should be noted that, as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, liquid marbles are a type of liquid-solid composite functional material formed by hydrophobic micro-nano particles encapsulating liquid droplets. Currently, there is a lack of a new type of driving device and driving method that is highly adaptable and not limited by materials.

[0026] Please see Figures 1 to 5 To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this embodiment provides a liquid marble control device based on dielectric drive, including an electrode 5, which is connected to a displacement mechanism 2. Electrode 5 is connected to power supply 3 via wire 6. Power supply 3 is used to control the energization of electrode 5. Electrode 5 is used to generate an electric field after being energized, and the electric field is used to control the movement of liquid marble 4 in water pool 7. The displacement mechanism 2 is used to control the movement of the electrode 5.

[0027] In practice: Electrode 5 is mounted on displacement mechanism 2 and suspended above the water surface (height adjustable, typically 5-15mm). With computer control, electrode 5 can perform precise two-dimensional movement along any trajectory at any speed within a controlled range, parallel to the surface of the water tank 7 below. Electrode 5 is connected to the output of a high-voltage DC programmable desktop power supply 3 via wire 6. The output voltage range of power supply 3 is 0.5 kV to 6 kV. When transporting the liquid marble 4, displacement mechanism 2 moves electrode 5 directly above the liquid marble 4. Once electrode 5 is directly above the liquid marble 4, power supply 3 keeps electrode 5 energized at a preset voltage. After energization, displacement mechanism 2 controls electrode 5 to move along a preset route, thereby moving the liquid marble 4.

[0028] Understandably, the tip of the suspension electrode 5 can be considered a strong point charge, which generates a non-uniform electric field in space. Under the action of this non-uniform strong electric field, the positive and negative charges inside the liquid marble undergo a microscopic-scale relative displacement, causing the marble to become polarized as a whole. This polarization effect generates a net dielectric force in the non-uniform electric field, pointing towards the region of higher electric field strength, thereby driving the liquid marble. The liquid marble 4 will displace in response to the electric field generated by the working electrode 5; this is the dielectric effect. Furthermore, as... Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the dielectrophoresis effect generates a dielectrophoretic force FDEP, which drives the liquid marble 4 to the position directly below the electrode 5 (i.e., the position with the strongest electric field). This dielectrophoretic driving method can drive the marble's movement without contact and has no material requirements. After the control electrode 5 moves at a certain speed, the floating liquid marble 4 will follow the electrode 5 under dielectrophoretic driving. In this embodiment, as... Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, when the distance between electrode 5 and the liquid surface is 10 mm, a 10 μL liquid marble 4 can move at a speed of 10 to 25 mm / s without detaching under a voltage drive of 3.5 to 5.5 kV. The movement trajectory of electrode 5 is controlled by displacement mechanism 2, thereby achieving programmable marble transport (e.g., circular, curved, or broken line). This method provides trajectories for the transport of liquid marble 4, is more suitable for long-distance transport, and avoids potential contamination or damage problems caused by direct contact between the material and electrode 5.

[0029] Please see Figures 1 to 5In the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device of this embodiment, the displacement mechanism 2 includes a first displacement device 21 and a second displacement device 22. The second displacement device 22 is fixedly connected to the first displacement device 21, and the electrode 5 is fixedly connected to the second displacement device 22. The first displacement device 21 is used to control the second displacement device 22 to move in a first direction, and the second displacement device 22 is used to control the electrode 5 to move in a second direction. Both the first and second directions are parallel to the liquid surface contained in the pool 7.

[0030] Using the above technical solution, in the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device of this embodiment, the first displacement device 21 includes two first electric linear slides 211 fixed on the mounting plate 1. A first slider 213 is mounted on the first lead screw 212 of the first electric linear slide 211, and a triangular plate 214 is fixedly mounted on the first slider 213. The second displacement device 22 includes a second electric linear slide 221, which is fixedly mounted between the two triangular plates 214. A second slider 223 is mounted on the lead screw of the second linear slide. The second slider 223 is fixedly connected to the electrode array plate 8. The first electric linear slide 211 causes the first slider 213 to move along a first direction through the first lead screw 212, thereby driving the second linear slide to move along the first direction. The second linear slide causes the second slider 223 to move along a second direction through the second lead screw 222, thereby driving the electrode array plate 8 to move along the second direction. The first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other and parallel to the liquid surface contained in the pool 7. This allows the electrode array plate 8 to move freely on a plane parallel to the surface of the liquid contained in the water tank 7, thereby driving the liquid marble 4 to move freely on the surface of the liquid contained in the water tank 7 along with the electrode 5 through dielectric force.

[0031] Please see Figures 1 to 5 In the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device of this embodiment, a third displacement device 23 is also provided. The third displacement device 23 is fixedly connected to the second displacement device 22, and the electrode array plate 8 is fixedly connected to the third displacement device 23. The third displacement device 23 is used to control the electrode array plate 8 to move upward in a third direction, which is perpendicular to the liquid surface.

[0032] Using the above technical solution, in the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device of this embodiment, the third displacement device 23 is a manual micro linear slide, fixedly mounted on the second slider 223, used to manually fine-tune the height of the electrode array plate 8 above the water surface, thereby adjusting the vertical distance between the electrode 5 and the liquid marble 4. The vertical distance between the electrode 5 and the liquid marble 4 directly determines the effective distance of the electric field. By adjusting the height of the electrode 5 manually via the micro linear slide, the effective distance of the electric field can be precisely controlled, thereby regulating the magnitude and range of the force to adapt to marbles of different volumes or different movement speed requirements. Furthermore, the electric field is regulated by jointly adjusting the height of the electrode 5 and the output voltage of the electrode 5.

[0033] Please see Figures 1 to 5 In this embodiment of the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device, electrode 5 is a needle electrode, consisting of a slender cylindrical metal needle with a diameter of approximately 0.5 mm, inserted into a UV-curable resin shell. The bottom of the needle is flush with the bottom surface of the shell and covered with PVC insulating tape. The electrode array plate 8 has openings with the same diameter as the shell, allowing the electrode 5 to be vertically mounted on the electrode array plate 8. The electrode array plate 8 has multiple openings, enabling multiple electrodes 5 to be mounted simultaneously at preset positions.

[0034] Using the above technical solution, in the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device of this embodiment, electrode 5 is a needle electrode 5. The tip radius of curvature of the needle electrode 5 is extremely small. When high voltage is applied, the charge will be highly concentrated at the tip, thereby generating a non-uniform electric field with extremely high electric field strength and a large gradient in a small area directly below the electrode 5. The magnitude of the dielectric electrophoresis force FDEP is proportional to the gradient of the electric field strength. Therefore, the tip design of the needle electrode 5 can maximize this gradient, thereby generating the strongest driving force under a given voltage. Preferably, the electrode 5 is encapsulated in a UV-curable resin shell and the bottom is covered with PVC insulating tape, which can prevent high voltage from directly breaking down through air or medium, ensuring that the electric field mainly acts on the marble through space. Preferably, when the needle electrode is perpendicular to the liquid surface, the non-uniform electric field it generates is basically symmetrical in the horizontal direction. Thus, the area with the strongest electric field strength is located at the projection point directly below the electrode tip, thereby ensuring that the direction of the dielectric electrophoresis force on the liquid marble is the projection point directly below the electrode tip, and that the dielectric electrophoresis force generated in the non-uniform electric field points in the direction of the fastest increase in electric field strength. When installed vertically, this direction points directly to the liquid surface below, thus generating a near-vertical and strongest attractive force directly above the marble. Furthermore, besides controlling the movement of the electrode 5 to control the transport of the liquid marble 4, the liquid marble 4 can also be driven to move by changing the electric field without moving the electrode 5. By changing the number and arrangement of the electrodes 5 through the electrode array plate 8, the liquid marble 4 can be transferred between the positions of the various electrodes 5. In this embodiment, the electrode array plate 8 uses a nine-square grid arrangement of electrodes 5. The electrodes 5 are energized in a sequential manner. Since the marble always moves towards the energized electrode 5, by orderly energizing the electrodes 5 at different positions, the marble can move below the electrode array plate 8 according to a certain pattern. Preferably, the electrode array plate 8 is replaceable. By changing the position and number of holes in the electrode array plate 8, multiple electrodes 5 can be arranged in different numbers and positions, thereby allowing the liquid marble 4 to move in different patterns below the electrode array plate 8. Furthermore, since the electrode array plate 8 can simultaneously energize multiple electrodes 5 at different positions, it is possible to simultaneously control the movement of multiple liquid marbles 4 in different directions. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the separation of the liquid marble aggregate can be operated by multiple electrodes 5 in different positions (the floating liquid marbles 4 will cause depressions on the liquid surface due to gravity. When multiple liquid marbles 4 approach each other, they will spontaneously aggregate. They must be forced to separate by external force). After separation, each liquid marble 4 is transported separately.

[0035] Furthermore, in the dielectric-driven liquid marble control device of this embodiment, the marble can exhibit different states by changing the liquid contained in the pool 7. For example, when the liquid is water, the marble will float on the surface; while when the liquid is silicone oil, the marble will sink into the oil medium, and the device can still drive it. Figure 14 As shown, the dielectric electrophoresis-driven domain can not only drive the floating liquid marble 4, but also act on the liquid marble 4 within the liquid medium. Silicone oil molecules have weak polarization under an external electric field and hardly participate in or interfere with effective control based on dielectric electrophoresis. Therefore, in electric field control, silicone oil can be considered a "transparent" medium functioning similarly to air, primarily providing buoyancy support for the movement of the liquid marble 4. In a silicone oil environment, the liquid marble 4, driven by dielectric electrophoresis, can easily overcome the limitations of two-dimensional motion to achieve three-dimensional spatial movement. Under the action of the dielectric electrophoresis effect, it can drive the liquid marble 4 within the liquid medium to suspend and follow the movement of the electrode 5. Furthermore, as... Figure 14 As shown, after the power is cut off, the marble falls under the action of gravity and can collide with other marbles, causing them to fuse and produce a mixing reaction of the internal solution.

[0036] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A liquid marble control device based on dielectric actuation, characterized in that, Includes electrodes, which are connected to a displacement mechanism; The electrode is connected to a power source via a wire. The power source is used to control the energization of the electrode. The electrode is used to generate an electric field after being energized, and the electric field is used to control the movement of the liquid marble in the pool. The displacement mechanism is used to control the movement of the electrode.

2. The liquid marble control device based on dielectric actuation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrode is a needle electrode.

3. The liquid marble control device based on dielectric actuation according to claim 2, characterized in that, The electrode is perpendicular to the surface of the liquid contained in the pool.

4. The liquid marble control device based on dielectric actuation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pool contains a first liquid and a second liquid. The first liquid is used to make the liquid marbles float on the surface of the liquid, and the second liquid is used to make the liquid marbles sink into the liquid.

5. The liquid marble control device based on dielectric actuation according to claim 1, characterized in that... The displacement mechanism includes a first displacement device and a second displacement device. The second displacement device is fixedly connected to the first displacement device, and the electrode is fixedly connected to the second displacement device. The first displacement device is used to control the second displacement device to move in a first direction, and the second displacement device is used to control the electrode to move in a second direction. Both the first direction and the second direction are parallel to the surface of the liquid contained in the pool.

6. The liquid marble control device based on dielectric actuation according to claim 5, characterized in that... It also includes an electrode array plate, which is fixedly connected to the second displacement device, and the electrode array plate is used to fix and install multiple electrodes.

7. The liquid marble control device based on dielectric actuation according to claim 6, characterized in that... It is also provided with a third displacement device, which is fixedly connected to the second displacement device. The electrode array plate is fixedly connected to the third displacement device. The third displacement device is used to control the electrode array plate to move in a third direction, which is perpendicular to the liquid surface.

8. A method for manipulating liquid marbles based on dielectric actuation, characterized in that, The liquid marble manipulation device based on dielectric drive according to any one of claims 1-7 comprises: The electrode is moved directly above the liquid marble using the displacement mechanism; Once the electrode reaches directly above the liquid marble, the power source keeps the electrode energized at a preset voltage. When the electrode is energized, the displacement mechanism controls the electrode to move along a preset route, thereby moving the liquid marble.

9. The method for manipulating liquid marbles based on dielectric actuation according to claim 8, characterized in that... The liquid marble control device is also provided with an electrode array plate, on which multiple electrodes are mounted; The power supply controls the energizing sequence of multiple electrodes on the electrode array plate, causing the liquid marble to move within the control area of ​​the electrode array plate.

10. The method for manipulating liquid marbles based on dielectric actuation according to claim 9, characterized in that... The power supply controls the simultaneous energization of multiple electrodes on the electrode array plate, causing the liquid marble aggregate to separate within the control area of ​​the electrode array plate.

Images